Google, Hearst invest in social TV site Miso

Google and Hearst Interactive Media have invested $1.5 million in social TV site Miso.

The investment will go towards hiring more engineers, including a web app developer, UI designer and social media and marketing intern.

Joe Kraus from Google Ventures, Google’s capital investment division, and Scott Wolfgang from Hearst Interactive Media will also join the Miso board of directors, helping to oversee the development of the social TV platform.

Miso was originally developed by Bazaar Labs in 2009 under the name Flixup before taking its new name in 2010. It allows users to create a profile for watching, rating and sharing their favourite films and TV shows with friends, effectively a combination of IMDB with Facebook.

Users can “check in” on a TV programme, which is similar to leaving an update on Facebook or a tweet on Twitter, follow their favourite shows, add friends, use a messaging service, collect badges and all the usual stuff you would expect from a social network.

Google could be intending a long-term plan to acquire the company when it becomes more established. With 100,000 registered users in nine months and a new partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network, we’re likely to hear more about Miso throughout 2011.